1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing method and apparatus, an information processing system, and a medium, which may be used with advantage in transmitting/receiving an E-mail with a file attached thereto.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, a so-called E-mail is frequently used as one of communication means. For a terminal for transmitting/receiving this E-mail, a general purpose computer, such as a so-called personal computer or a workstation, is used in a majority of cases.
This general purpose computer is provided as a rule with a large-capacity hard disc. By using this large-capacity hard disc, an E-mail can be transmitted/received without being particularly concerned with the data size.
Moreover, in transmitting/receiving an E-mail, it is a frequent occurrence that not only the so-called text data but also data rendered into a file is attached and transmitted/received. This data rendered into a file is referred to below simply as a file. For opening the attached file at a reception terminal, an application software associated with the file form (type of the attached file), inclusive of a mailer, is necessary.
In transmitting/receiving an E-mail with a file attached thereto, if a reception terminal is a general purpose computer having the above-mentioned large-capacity hard disc, the attached file can be opened by pre-installing an application software associated with each of a variety of file formats. Of course, if the application software associated with the file format of the attached file is not installed in the general purpose computer of the reception terminal, the attached file, stored previously, may be opened by installing an application software associated with the file format after once storing the received attached file. Meanwhile, if the file need not be opened directly, but it is sufficient to see its contents, it is sufficient if a so-called viewer software associated with each of a variety of file formats is installed. On the other hand, if a file is attached, the data size tends to be increased as compared to an E-mail comprised only of text data. However, if a reception terminal is a general purpose computer having a large-capacity hard disc, the E-mail can be transmitted/received, by using the hard disc as data recording means, without the user being particularly concerned with the size of the attached file.
If an E-mail, inclusive of an attached file, is transmitted/received using a general purpose computer, it has not been necessary to be particularly concerned with the data size or the file format, as described above.
Recently, not only the general purpose computer, such as the above-mentioned personal computer or workstation, but also a variety of portable information terminals, such as PDA (personal digital assistants) carrying a general-purpose OS (operating system), a portable telephone set, a simplified portable telephone system, such as PHS (registered trademark) or a pager terminal, are in use. These terminals are referred to below collectively as portable telephone sets. In near future, a variety of electronic equipment, such as, for example, video cameras, digital still cameras, AV (audio visual) equipment, game machines for domestic use, set top boxes or a variety of household electrical products, may presumably be used as E-mail reception terminals.
However, the portable information terminals, such as the above-mentioned PDA, portable telephone sets or pager terminals, are in general poor in recording capacity of enclosed storage means, such that it is frequently difficult to get installed, or newly install, an application software, inclusive of viewer software, adapted to cope with a variety of file formats, used for opening or viewing a file attached to a variety of file formats.
On the other hand, a portable information terminals carrying a dedicated OS, such as PDA or portable telephone set, adapts itself in many cases only to predetermined file formats, so that, in such case, this portable information terminal is only able to open or view an attached file of the predetermined file format, while it is unable to open or view an attached file other than the attached file of the predetermined format. Stated differently, if an E-mail with a file attached thereto is to be transmitted to a portable information terminal carrying the dedicated OS, it becomes necessary to provide and transmit an attached file of a predetermined file format associated with the dedicated OS.
In particular, in the case of the above-mentioned portable telephone set, it may be a frequent occurrence that respective portable telephone sets differ in specifications or OS types, depending on the difference in the communication system used or in the portable telephone service offering companies furnishing portable telephone services. So, it may be a frequent occurrence that the file formats that can be opened or viewed are also different. If the communication system is the same or the portable telephone set pertains to the same portable telephone service company, it may be an occurrence that the file formats that can be opened or viewed differ depending on the OS versions or with equipment types.
It is a frequent occurrence that updating or rewriting of an application software by users at large is not possible, even though the application software can be updated or rewritten in a producer or a servicing center for the portable information terminals. So, the users at large can only use the application installed from the outset, except if the application software is rewritten at e.g., a servicing center.
It is also a frequent occurrence that the above-mentioned portable information terminals cannot display the information only in a state matched to the display capability of respective own display means. In such case, even if a reception terminal accommodates the file format itself of the attached file, and is able to open the file, but the image size or the maximum number of colors for demonstrating the contents of the opened file, for example, exceeds the display capability of the display means of the reception terminal, the file contents cannot be opened or viewed.
It may be contemplated from above that, even if, when the various portable information terminals receive E-mails, the text data excepting letters or characters unique to terminals can be viewed unobjectionably, it may occur frequently that the attached file received frequently cannot be opened or viewed, since this depends appreciably on the capability or the file format that can be accommodated by the reception terminal.
If a variety of electronic equipment, such as the aforementioned video cameras, digital still cameras, AV equipment or household electrical devices, provided with the E-mail receiving functions, and which will debut in near future, a similar problem presumably arises that a file transmitted as it is attached to the E-mail cannot be opened or viewed, as in the case of the portable information terminal, described above, because the operating systems or functions set on the electronic equipment will possibly differ from one equipment to another.